Lucas S. is a resident in Phase III of the Turnbridge addiction treatment program.  Lucas’ life spiraled out of control as his addiction took hold, but through some consistent hard work at Turnbridge, he has turned things around. According to Lucas, he began drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana at an early age. Addiction runs in his family, and his substance abuse quickly progressed to various prescription medications and heroin in his later years of high school. “In my junior year, I just got really bad,” Lucas said. All my grades started to slip. I just wasn’t going to class. I was an absent son to my parents, and I was not a trustworthy person.”   Following the death of his older brother, Lucas’s drug use “took off,” leading to a string of arrests that eventually led to his first attempt at recovery. Lucas entered a wilderness drug treatment program in Utah, followed by an 11-month residency in a therapeutic boarding school. After these programs, Lucas moved off to college at the University of Colorado in Boulder. “Right when I got to school I started drinking and using pills again,” Lucas said. “That was the worst of my drinking then; every morning, day, and night. I was a mess. If I wasn’t drunk, I was shaky and delusional-going crazy. I got to the point where I would leave my dorm room so anxious that I literally felt that if I had a confrontation with anyone I’d have a heart attack. I was depressed, and hated my life.”   Lucas tried to get sober again on his own, but suffered a relapse before seeking help. He scheduled an appointment at a local detox and has since worked hard to maintain his sobriety. Since embracing recovery, Lucas’s personality and perspective has changed dramatically. “I think a lot of it just boils down to feeling like a better person,” Lucas said. “A better son, friend, and brother. Now I keep myself busy with school, work, and volunteering. At the end of the day when I go to sleep, I feel like I’m at least in some way helping the ground that I stand on, not destroying everything in my path.”   According to Lucas, the relationships he has with his family and friends are on the mend and improving every day. “It’s gotten a lot better,” Lucas said. “I think my parents know that this time I actually am taking [sobriety] seriously. It does take a lot longer to build that trust back than it does to destroy it. Now I’m around friends that care about me. I’m actually happy to see people and to talk to them.” In Turnbridge, Lucas has found a solid and supportive sober network. He is a part of a sober living community now, filled with guys in recovery who all help each other through the daily struggles.